NTUC-Affiliated Unions And Associations

Learn About Unions

The main aim of NTUC-affiliated trade unions is to protect workers. Specifically, the unions represent workers in collective bargaining as well as in other areas like appeals against wrongful dismissals, negotiations for retrenchment benefits and advice on employment contracts. Trade unions can represent both rank-and-file and executive workers.

Union Memberships

Membership crossed the 500,000 mark in August 2007. By end 2008, membership was 528,266 and as of June 2009, membership reached 540,169. In the decade between 1995 and 2005, our membership base saw a two-fold increase before hitting the half million milestone.

While we have enjoyed a steady increase over the years, membership growth in recent times has moderated. Against the backdrop of a global downturn and the change of economic landscape and GDP contraction, we boosted our recruitment efforts to reach out to more members. In 2008, 43 new branches were unionised and for the first half of 2009, we supported the organising of 25 companies.

Through working closely with our affiliated unions, we also helped boost membership growth in unionised branches. Examples include recruitment drives with the National Taxi Association and Food & Drinks Allied Workers' Union, among others.

Membership recruitment was further ramped up with enhanced training of recruiters in areas of product knowledge and salesmanship. New channels of recruitment included Cathay Cineplexes and selected U Dining merchants to increase our reach to younger people. Member-get-Member campaigns were also rolled out to increase membership numbers.

Branch officials are elected by unionised employees of the branch. Their duties are to serve members at the branch or company level. Duties include:

try to resolve grievances through negotiations with management

form part of the union delegation at collective bargaining sessions

serve as links between workers and leaders at union headquarters and the national centre

help explain labour and national issues to workers

get feedback on implementation of policies and matters of concern to workers

help mobilise workers for mass activities

Union Executive Committee

Key branch officials represent their branches at the Union Headquarters as delegates. They have a right to vote or stand as candidates in the Union Executive Committee elections. Each Executive Committee appoints committees to deal with specific areas such as industrial relations, organising, financial matters, education, skills upgrading, occupational health and safety, social and welfare services, and culture and recreation. The duties of the Union Executive Committee are to:

coordinate the work of the various branches and maintain close contact with the NTUC

guide the Branch Committees in industrial relation and other matters

take an active role in collective bargaining. Where necessary, the Committee can tap NTUC's expertise in carrying out complex negotiations